Mechanical toy.



. B. F. BAIN.

MECHANIQAL TOY. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9, 1914.

Patented May 25, 1915.

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B. F. BAIN.

MECHANICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED. SEPT. 19, 1914.

1,,MQ 78D Patented May 25, 1915.

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TTNTTED TATFQ PATENT @FFTQE BENJAMIN F. BAIN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

MECHANICAL TOY.

Application filed September 19, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. Earn, a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanical toys, and more particularly to a toy embodying a movable car adapted to travel up and down in a frame.

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanical toy of the character described which can be readily operated by the average child, which absorbs his attenton, which provides a continual duty for the child, and which is arranged to simulate the elevator of a sky-scraper or ofiice building and the signaling system thereof.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings, which represent one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 1s a side elevation of the frame, car and operating parts, the casing being shown in dotted lines for simplicity of illustration, and the car being shown in full lines approaching its upper position and in dotted lines in its lower position; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the toy; Fig. 3 is a hor1zontalsection on the line 33, Fig. 1; Fig. 41: 1s a detail view of a portion of the casing and one of the automatic switches carried thereby; Figs. 5 and 6 are detail perspect ve views of portions of said switch; and 1 1g.

7 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuits.

Referring to the drawings, the toy comprises a suitable frame, consisting of a base 1, preferably formed of bent metal rods or straps and preferably in two sections con- .nected at front and rear by the button-hole connections 2, in order that it may be readily detached for packing the toy in small compass. The base has secured thereto an upright portion of the frame, shown as consisting of four vertical rods 3 connected together at their upper and lower ends by suitable cross braces 4t. The two front vertical members 3 form guideways along which travels a car or elevator 5, while the two rear uprights form guides for a counterweight 6, the car and counterweight being connected by a cord or cable 7 passing over sheaves or pulleys 8.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Serial No. 862,552.

Suitable means is provided for causing the car to travel up and down in the frame, the operating means being preferably of the same type and construction as that shown in my prior application for mechanical toy, filed December 15, 1913, Serial No. 806,778. As shown, said mechanism comprises a trough or chute 10 lying in an inclined position and detachably connected to the upper portion of the main frame, and which is adapted to receive a plurality of ponderous bodies, shown as balls or marbles 11, which roll downwardly along said chute and are discharged therefrom through an opening 12 controlled by a gate 13 into the upper open end of said car. The gate 13 is pivotally mounted, as at 14, in said chute, and is provided with an arm 15 provided with a depending portion 15 adapted to be contacted by a suitable portion of the car as it rises for releasing one ball from said chute and holding back the next ball, as more fully described in my prior application referred to. The counterweight 6 is a little heavier than the car, but the car with one of the ponderous bodies thereon is heavier than the counterweight, so that when a ball is discharged into said car it travels downwardly in the frame, and rises when the ball is released from the car.

The balls are held in the car by a swinging gate 16 having an arm or yoke 17 con nected thereto and arranged to be contacted by a fixed stop 18 at the lower end of the frame, to oscillate said gate to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and release the ball from the car, said ball dropping into a receiver 19, from which it is discharged into a horizontally extending inclined chute or trough 20 through which the ball rolls into the floor space inclosed by the rear portion of the base 1.

The frame is inclosed or partly inclosed by a suitable casing 21, shown as a sheet metal member having the cross section illustrated in Fig. 3, and which in assembling is slipped downwardly over the frame from top to bottom. The lower portion of said casing may be connected to the frame, as by bolts and nuts 22, while the upper portion is preferably provided with bent metal tongues 23 which embrace portions of the cross braces 4 at the upper end of the frame. The casing 21 is preferably formedof sheet metal and is suitably decorated, by being painted or lithographed, or in any other manner, to represent the elevator shaft of a sky-scraper or oflice building, the front portion of said casing having portions cut elevator. In the apparatus shown a plural- .ity of small electric lights 25 two being shown, are threaded at intervals into the casing 21, so that the casing is electrically connected to the threaded portion of the lamp base, and forms a shunt connection between said lamps, as shown in Fig. 7 A suitable source of current, such as a battery 26, is also carried by the frame. As shown, said battery is contained within a boX or casing 27 provided with two angle members 28 electrically connected to the battery in said casing 7 to form the terminals of said battery. These angle members are provided with openings adapted to be passed over contact screws or members 29, one of which is electrically connected to the casing 21 while the other is insulated therefrom.

The battery current may be turned on and off by a suitable switch 30 carried by the casing 27 and adapted to control the connection between one terminal of the battery within said box with one of the angle connections 28.

The end contacts of the lamp bases, when the latter are screwed in, make connection with contacts 31 carried by the casing 21 and insulated therefrom, said contacts being electrically connected, as by insulated wires carried by the casing, with automatic switches 32 and 33, which respectively control the shunt circuits through the lamps. Two of said switches are shown, but as will be readily understood, any number of lamps and automatic switches can be used as desired.

The upper switch 32, controlling the upper lamp 25, is located a little below the upper limit of travel of the car 5 and is so arranged that as said car moves upwardly and passes the switch it moves the same to closed position, thereby connecting the circuit through the upper lamp 25 and lighting the signal. Said lamp remains lighted until the car moves downwardly and passes the automatic switch 32, which is thereupon moved by the car to open position, thus extinguishing the upper lamp.

The lower automatic switch 33 is located a little above the lowermost position of the car, so that as the car passes the same in moving downwardly, it moves said switch to the closed position and thereby lights the lamp. Said lamp remains lighted until the car passes the switch during its upward movement when said switch is moved to open position, thereby extinguishing the lower lamp. Consequently, as the car travels up and down in the frame first one switches are supported by the casing 21 and in any suitable manner so as to be insulated therefrom, the remaining portions of the circuit being formed of insulated wire.

Figs. 4, 6 and 7 illustrate in detail the upper automatic switch 32. This comprises a pivoted switch member 35 having two arms, of which one is provided with a suitable counterweight, such as the small washer-- 36, adapted to hold said arm in either'of its two positions, and whose momentum assists in turning the switch when started by the car. The other arm 37 of saidswitch is curved or horn-shaped, as shown in Fig. 4.

. Said switch member is pivotally mounted,

as at 38, upon a tongue 39 extending outwardly from a sheet metal plate 40 having its edge portions 41 bent around the edges of a supporting member 42 formed of insulating material, such as fiber, hard rubber or the like. Said insulating member 42 is superposed upon a second insulating member 43 of similar shape and formed of similar insulating material, so that the bent edge portions 41 of the plate 40 are clamped be-- tween the two insulating plates. The two insulating plates are held together and are secured to the casing 21 by a backplate 44, 7

formed of sheet metal and having edge portions 45 passed through slots or openings in the casing 21 and bent down on the outside thereof and other edge portions 46 bent around the two insulating plates 43. As a consequence the pivoted switch member 35' is wholly insulated from the casing 21. The pivoted switch members may also be provided with suitable means/for operating them by hand, so as to place them in proper 1 position for automatic operation by the car when accidentally moved to the wrong position in handling the toy. As shown, they are provided with bent arms 47 which extend outwardly through slots in the casing 21, so that they are accessible from the outside of said casing. V

The plates 40 may also be provided with additional tongues 48 for connecting the movable switch members in the lamp circuit, and as shown, the wires 49 of said circuits are connected to'said plates by having their ends passed through small apertures in the tongues 48, the ends of which are then bent overand crushed down on the bent ends of the wires in order to provide a good connection.

Fig. 4: illustrates in full lines the upper automatic switch 32 in its closed position in which the upper lamp 25 is lighted. In said position the weighted arm 36 of the switch member makes connection with a contact member 32 carried by an insulating base 50 of the same construction as the base of the movable switch member, and which is attached to the inside of the main casing. The car 5 is provided at one side with a suitable projection 51, and as the car moves downwardly the projection strikes the horn-shaped arm of the movable projection 36 and rotates it in a counterclockwise direction in Fig. 4, to the position shown in dotted lines, in which position it is held by the counterweight with the arm 37 out of contact with the contact member 39 As the car rises the projection 51 strikes the weighted arm 36 and throws the switch back to the position show in full lines in Fig. 4, and thereby lights the lamp.

The lower automatic switch 43 is of the same construction as the upper switch 32, but the contact member 33 cooperating therewith is so placed that when said switch is in the position indicated by the full lines in Fig. 4, its weighted arm is out of contact with the contact member 33 I while when the switch is rotated to the other position, represented by the dotted lines in Fig. 4-, the horn-shaped arm contacts with the member 33 and closes the switch.

The toy described is simple and can be readily operated by the averagechild. The various parts can be detached so that the toy can be packed in a small package for shipping or storing, and when assembled is strong, durable, and not liable to easily get out of order. It perfectly simulates the operation of the ordinary office elevator and the system of lights attracts and holds the attention so that the interest of the operator is maintained.

What I claim is 1. In a toy elevator, the combination of an upright frame, a car arranged to travel up and down in said frame, an electric lamp on said frame, a source of current for said lamp, and a switch for controlling the circuit through said lamp located near one end of said frame and arranged to be operated by the movement of said car, whereby said car by its travel in opposite directions in said frame produces a flash of said lamp.

2. In a toy elevator, the combination of an upright frame, a car arranged to travel up and down in said frame, two electric lamps on said frame, a source of current for said lamps, and switches for controlling the circuits through said lamps located adjacent the upper and lower ends of said frame, said switches being operated by the up and down movement of said car in said frame and arranged when operated to produce alternate flashes of said lamps.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ELBERT L. HYDE, GLENN H. LERESOHE.

Gopies oi. this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

